[PURELY COMMENTARY

PHILIP SLOMOVITZ

Editor Emeritus

My Eighty Years As An American

ON THIS VERY IMPORTANT DAY in my life I keep proclaim-
ing my pride in being an American and in my loyalties as Jew and
Zionist. My "Purely Commentary" column of November 1960 refer-
red to having been "Fifty Years An American" at that time. The
November 1980 "Purely Commentary" was devoted to 70 years as

E

ighty years filled with
the privilege of being
an American must
justify the selfishness of pro-
nouncing it to family, friends,
the nation.
Only once before, under the
slogan of "Fifty Years an
American," did this commen-
tator, who often was listed as
a perpetuator of personal
journalism, resort to the con-
ceit of boasting about his
Americanism that has always
been rooted in the Jewish
codes.
Twenty years later, to mark
the significance of the arrival
date in this sacred land,
November 29, 1910, the credo
of the commentator's
Americanism beckons repeti-
tion. With hopes for its
gracious acceptance here it is
from "Purely Commentary,"
November 25, 1960, in its pre-
sent current application.
On Thanksgiving, when we
have so much to be grateful
for, when Americans rejoice
in the blessings and the boun-
ties that have been allotted to
them, this commentator will
surely be granted the
privilege of a personal word
on a glorious occasion.
This column has often
taken note of historic events,
of anniversaries of friends
and community leaders. Your
commentator has shown ap-
preciation for occurrences in
communities and in the lives
of fellow-citizens.
Now, the time has come for
a personal reference —
because the event is so vital
and so deeply soul-stirring.
November 29 will mark
your commentator's 50th an-
niversary as an American.
Many anniversaries are per-

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Vol. XCVIII No. 14

2

Nov. 30, 1990

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 30, 1990

sonal in nature: to him, such
an event, that of reaching the
age of 50 Years as an
American, calls for
thanksgiving, for a bit of
reminiscing, for additional
soul and heart-searching.
Fifty years as an American
meant 50 years of freedom —
freedom to speak the mind
and to express views without
hindrance; 50 years of service
to causes that fit into the
American way of life and
therefore help in the uplifting
of the less fortunate; 50 years
that were not without their
battles and debates — but
they were disputes and
arguments of such a nature
as to echo what the striver for
justice acquired as part
of his immersion into
Americanism.
The last 50 years revolu-
tionized the world. They were
politically stirring. The half
century began with
challenges unparalleled in
history. They changed the
fabric of America's acts and
thoughts. They transformed
our land into a new mold.
Two world wars claimed the
lives of millions of our fellow
Americans. Smaller conflicts
and some calamities also
were costly in human lives.
While the world was being
remolded, the Jewish people
underwent even graver
changes. Our kinsmen were
threatened with extinction.
We lost a third of Jewry in the
course of the victimization of
mankind by the most devilish
minds that ever inflicted
themselves upon us.
As Americans, we were part
of a generation that revolted
against bestialities. As Jews,
we had the obligation of corn-
ing to the aid of the afflicted.
As American Jews, we were
destined by history to be the
rescuers of the oppressed.
But while we were rescuing,
we, too, were the targets of
bigots. We were charged with

an American.
That column appeared as a special essay in my second book,
Purely Commentary, published in 1981. I am now reproducing it
here verbatim with the 50th and 70th anniversary facts, with a
single change, substituting for the 70th the present 80th.

the task of saving lives, and,
at the same time, of repudi-
ating bigots. In this country
we were free to speak our
minds against intolerance, to
battle the anti-Semites, to de-
mand justice wherever and
whenever it was due.
In that battle, we soon
learned the greatness of
America. We were not alone
in the fight. We soon learned
that there is such a genuine
principle as fair play in the
great land of our adoption. We
are grateful for that idea. It
has helped to sustain us in
our Americanism, and it has
given us pride in our
loyalities to this great land
and its deep-rooted principles.
There was much more to
our pride. When you fight the
anti-Semite, you seek to
eliminate the negative
aspects of American life. It is
when one searches for the
positive, when one aims to do
the creative things in life,
that one is faced with the true
test of American greatness.
Your commentator has found
the genius of America in the
freedom to act in behalf of his
fellow Jews through the
Zionist ideal.
America spells freedom, but
it does not qualify it by say-
ing that it is to be freedom on-
ly for Americans. It is an
established and sacred
American principle that one
who has his freedoms must
not deprive others of their
freedoms. More than that: he
who has his freedoms must
aid others to acquire similar
just rights.
During the five decades of
his Americanism, before ac-
quiring citizenship and dur-
ing the many years of his en-
franchisement, your commen-
tator labored for the Zionist
idea. No one hindered him:
the best Americans assisted
in the great aspirations.
Presidents, Cabinet members,
Supreme Court justices,

governors of states, and
members of both Houses of
Congress often gave him their
blessings. It was the
greatness of America that its
leaders always gave us com-
fort in our work. The handful
of Jews who were frightened,
who, in their panic, could not
assist in the greatest
humanitarian effort in
history, did not matter. They
were unworthy of concern.
They do not count now,
although they still seek to
obstruct justice. But there are
so few of them that they are
insignificant.
But even the few could have
been helpful in rescuing
many more people than we
have succeeded in saving
since our great Zionist idea

During his years as
an American, this
writer had the
right to adhere to
the faith of our
fathers .. .
wherever the Stars
and Stripes
fluttered for us as
a symbol of our
citizenship.

became a reality. Never-
theless, we are grateful — for
the millions of our kinsmen
who recognized the immensi-
ty of the task and assisted in
it; for the many millions of
Christian Americans who, by
their actions and by their en-
couragement, upheld the
American principles of justice
and the right to life, liberty
and pursuit of happiness of all
mankind, and give us cause
for gratitude and thanksgiv-
ing on this sacred day.
There is another cause for
rejoicing. During his 50 years
as an American, this writer
had the right to adhere to the

THESE REMINISCENCES now mark, with deep
regret, my abandonment of my treasured page on
which appeared my "Purely Commentary" uninter-
ruptedly every Friday from the first issue of The
Jewish News, when I created this paper in March
1942.
Additionally, my "Purely Commentary" was
published for nearly 20 years preceding the formation

faith of our fathers — at
preparatory high school, at
college, while working on
newspapers, in the course of
travels — wherever the Stars
and Stripes fluttered for us as
a symbol of our citizenship.
The pride of your commen-
tator's Americanism has ac-
companied him abroad,
where he was able to hold his
head high as an American
Jew, and in Israel, where he
enjoyed the fruits of his labors
and witnessed the fulfillment
of the dream of an American
Jew for whom Zionism was
akin to Americanism —
because the aspirations of
both are kindred in spirit —
and where he saw the realiza-
tion of the ideal that all men
have a right to pursue hap-
piness and enjoy freedom.
Major in the sense of ela-
tion, next to the exultation
that stems from good family
relationships, from a fine wife
and good children (all, in-
cidentally, native-born who
share mutual joys as
Americans, as Jews, and as
Zionists), is the privilege this
writer has acquired as a
working newspaperman. The
most glorious post in jour-
nalism is that of the reporter.
It is he, as the gatherer of
news, who secures the facts to
keep the people informed on
what is happening. The work-
ing newsgatherer is often
vastly more important even
than the editor and the copy
reader. Without his facts
there would be no provisions
for editing.
And in the role of a working
newspaperman, this humble
writer also has aligned
himself with all informa-
tional causes, with education
and fact-gathering, and with
a dedication to the cause of
learning. One must always
learn. Mikol rne-lam-dai
hiskalti — we learn from all

Continued on Page 13

of the Detroit Jewish News in the Detroit Jewish
Chronicle and the English Jewish Press worldwide.
The cessation of writing and publishing "Purely
Commentary" is cause for deep regret, with heartfelt
appreciation for encouragement always given me by
family, community and associates in my journalistic
career. ❑
See related editorial, Page 6.

